Football tackling and blocking training apparatus

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for improving and training football players in blocking and tackling employing an elevated horizontal member rotatable in a horizontal plane about a point intermediate its ends. One end of the member is spring loaded and a counterbalanced tackling dummy hangs on pulleys below the opposite end of the member.

United States Patent Gow [4 1 May 2,1972

[54] FOOTBALL TACKLING AND BLOCKING TRAINING APPARATUS [72] Inventor:Gordon James Gow, Barrie, Ontario,

Canada [73] Assignee: The Raymond Lee Organization, Inc., New

York, NY. a part interest [22] Filed: Oct. 1, 1970 21 Appl. No.: 77,098

[52] US. Cl ..273/55 R, 273/55 A [51] Int. Cl. ..A63b 67/00 [58] Fieldof Search ..273/55 R, 55 A; 272/78, 79

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,176,730 3/1916 Ashton..273/55 R 1,708,638 4/1929 Smith 2,532,880 12/1950 Banbury ..273/55 RPrimary ExaminerRichard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-Theatrice Brown[57] ABSTRACT Apparatus for improving and training football players inblocking and tackling employing an elevated horizontal member rotatablein a horizontal plane about a point intermediate its ends. One end ofthe member is spring loaded and a counterbalanced tackling dummy hangson pulleys below the opposite end of the member.

4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures FOOTBALL TACKLING AND BLOCKING TRAININGAPPARATUS SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION My invention is directed towardapparatus that:

a. will simulate the actual football game situation of blocking andtackling an opponent;

b. will condition the athlete to hitting to avoid injury whileaccomplishing this;

c. will give the athlete confidence to carry into the game situation;and

d. will develop tough football players.

To this end, I provide a first vertical post rotatable about its axis,the top of the first post being secured to a point on an elongatedhorizontal member intermediate its ends but adjacent one end. This oneend is connected by cable disposed around a vertical rotatable pulleysecured in vertical position and connected to a vertical raised weight.

The member intermediate the post and the other end carries two spacedvertical pulleys. A cable extends along the pulley dropping at an endadjacent the post to a counter weight and dropping at an opposite end toa counterbalanced tackling dummy.

As a player tackles the dummy, it moves with him in the same directionand approximately in the same plane. Simultaneously, the horizontalmember rotates with the post in a horizontal arc and allows the dummy toextend and move whereby the player has followed in exactly the sameposition and fashion that he would have tackled an opponent with nohypertension of spine or back. Once the player releases the bag, themember and bag automatically return to the original position for use byanother player or a repeat by the same player.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings: FIG. 1 is a side viewof my apparatus; and FIG. 2 is a top view thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to FIGS. 1and 2, a first vertical post extends upward from the ground and isrotatably disposed in a hollow vertical sleeve 12 buried to its top endin the ground. A second vertical post 14 spaced therefrom isnonrotatably held 2 in position.

An elongated horizontal member 16 has two opposite ends 18 and 20. End18 is adjacent but spaced from post 14. Member 16 at a point 22 closerto end 18 then end 20 is secured to the top of post 10.

A rotatable brace 24 on post 14 supports a pulley 26 vertically, thepulley being rotatable about a horizontal axis. A first cable 28 securedat one end to an eye 30 at the bottom of end 18 extends around pulley 26and drops downward to weight 32 always held vertically above ground.

Member 16 supports on its bottom side two aligned vertical pulleys 34,each rotatable about a horizontal axis, one pulley being adjacent end20, the other being adjacent the post 10. A second cable 36 extendsbetween and around these pulleys, one end extending downward to tacklingdummy 38, the other end extending downward to counter weight 40.

The two weight systems normally hold the member and dummy in theposition shown in solid line in FIG. 2. When a player 42 executes atackle, these parts move as shown in phantom in FIG. 2. After the playerreleases the dummy, the parts return to original position.

While I have described my invention with particular reference to thedrawings, such is not to be considered as limiting its actual scope.

Having thus described this invention, what is asserted as new is:

1. Football trainer apparatus comprising: an elongated horizontal memberdisposed above ground level and pivotable about a vertical lineextending through the member at a point intermediate its endsz:

means exerting a force on one end of said member end tending to holdsaid member at a zero pivot angle; and

counterbalanced tackle means coupled to the other end of the memberwhereby when a player tackles said means, the player and means move inthe same direction and the member pivots in a horizontal plane to adesired pivot angle, said member returning automatically to zero pivotangle when the player releases said means.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further including a vertical postrotatable about a vertical axis, said point of said member being affixedto the top of said post.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said weight means includesa second non-rotatable vertical post adjacent but spaced from said onemember end.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said point is closer tosaid one member end than to said other member end.

1. Football trainer apparatus comprising: an elongated horizontal memberdisposed above ground level and pivotable about a vertical lineextending through the member at a point intermediate its ends:: meansexerting a force on one end of said member end tending to hold saidmember at a zero pivot angle; and counterbalanced tackle means coupledto the other end of the member whereby when a player tackles said means,the player and means move in the same direction and the member pivots ina horizontal plane to a desired pivot angle, said member returningautomatically to zero pivot angle when the player releases said means.2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further including a vertical postrotatable about a vertical axis, said point of said member being affixedto the top of said post.
 3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 whereinsaid weight means includes a second non-rotatable vertical post adjacentbut spaced from said one member end.
 4. Apparatus as set forth in claim3 wherein said point is closer to said one member end than to said othermember end.